Welcome Home, Great Slayer

by Sir Yeetus Deletus

His mission complete, his purpose fulfilled, the Doom Slayer is entombed once more. However, no force could contain him forever, and after millennia, he breaks free from the confines of the Ingmore Sanctum and leaves Hell. But, instead of arriving on a familiar world, the Great Slayer is sent tumbling to another—one he had saved in the past. One of devils, angels, and dragons.

10. Old Comrades, New Threats

A/N: As of now, Chapter 1 and 2 have been fully revamped, now each with Codex Entries. Chapter 3 has been revamped so that the fight between the Slayer and the monsters is much more readable and visceral, and the impact of his fight on the environment is much greater. In these chapters, Tiamat has also changed—she is now more sultry and mature, but still excited. If you don't like it, too bad. These edits will eventually extend to all chapters written thus far.

Not all chapters will have Codex Entries, but all Codex Entries will be finished by the time Chapter 11 is posted. Shouldn't take too long.

Also, every line break in every chapter should now have a Day Counter at the beginning, signifying how many days have passed since the Slayer arrived in DxD.

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Day 8

The ambient sounds of mythical wildlife echoed all throughout the Familiar Forest as beasts roamed freely among the earthy verdure. In one specific area, the absence of the forest's apex predator created a power vacuum that had instilled confidence into many beasts, sparking many bestial territory wars. As such, the beasts of the Familiar Forest clashed.

In a verdant clearing before the mouth of a certain dragon's cave, a bull-headed minotaur snorted sharply as it gripped its man-sized axe tightly, its eyes narrowed in an angry, yet analytical glare. Across from it, a chimera shuffled low to the ground, snarling as its snake tail snapped at the bovine beast, eager to taste flesh. The beasts held a standoff, encircling one another as they tried to determine the other's first move.

It seemed as though they would exist in a perpetual deadlock, but soon the apprehension grew beyond limit, and the tension broke. The minotaur, intent on finishing the fight in one blow, surged forward and swung laterally with a guttural heft, but much to its surprise and displeasure, its axe cleaved through the rock of a boulder instead of tender flesh when the chimera evaded.

Capitalizing on the minotaur's misstep, the chimera lunged at the minotaur's side, sinking its teeth into flesh. At the same time, its snake tail thrusted for the minotaur's neck, but the minotaur was quick to react. Enraged and in pain, the minotaur released its weapon and caught the snake tail by its throat. With a roar of defiance, the minotaur squeezed the tail tightly, then threw its other fist in a vicious uppercut that cracked against the chimera's snout with enough strength to force it off and away.

Following through, the minotaur gripped the chimera's tail with both claws, turned, then brought it overhead and swung downwards. The chimera flew overhead with a shriek, then crashed through the boulder from before, crumbling the rock.

Huffing with effort, the minotaur released the chimera and stepped backwards, clutching the two large, bloodied gashes in its side. Similarly, the chimera yipped as it rose from the dust, bringing forth its crushed tail to survey the damage. The two glared at one another hatefully, but kept their distance.

Only one would come out on top, and there would be no retreat. A fight to the bloody death. Slowly, the minotaur kneeled and gripped the handle of its axe, then rose into a ready position. The chimera did the same, lowering into its evasive stance once more.

Suddenly, the clearing was awash with blue-white light, and both creatures paused. At first, they stared at one another, one accusing the other for the anomaly, but then both their gazes were drawn downwards where they saw a magic circle of epic proportions spinning beneath their feet. Then…

Light brighter than a quasar blinded their eyes, the mass of an endless sea of stars weighing down on their shoulders.

Both beasts felt their jaws unhinge in horror as he returned. The one who'd wiped their packs and tribes, leaving them with almost nothing to themselves. As the light grew ever brighter, the minotaur turned tail and ran, and the chimera, whimpering pathetically, bounded away from the clearing, disappearing into the bushes.

As they were too fearful to look back, neither of the beasts had the chance to see the titanic figure that emerged from the circle, casting a shadow across the forest. A hulking edifice of Sentinel steel, horns on its head and cannons the size of buildings on its shoulders, the Atlan rose to more than one-hundred thirty meters tall, dwarfing the forest below it. The autonomous giant let its gaze wander, scanning the horizon, the air and the vegetation, the orange glow of the setting sun, then it cast its gaze on the ground, where three much smaller beings manifested.

As the light of the teleportation spell faded, the Slayer's boots sunk into moist dirt. The air was humid against his skin, the vegetation dampened by rainwater. He noticed beasts and critters scurrying away frightfully as he surveyed the area, and he immediately recognized it as the entrance to Tiamat's cave—secluded and away from prying eyes and straining ears, he noted.

The sun was setting; it had already disappeared under the height of the trees, its existence only evident by the pink-orange sky that continued to grow pinker.

It was already getting dark, huh? Now that he thought about it, he'd done a lot of shit today in only a few hours. He was sure his allies would be eager to discuss what happened.

Speaking of whom…

"Ahh…That went quite smoothly didn't…it…?"

The Slayer looked over when Diehauser trailed off.

The devil had been calmly celebrating their victory when he turned around and saw the feet of the Atlan, at which point his breath caught in his throat and his movements slowed to a stop as his eyes were drawn upwards, his mouth falling open in wide-eyed awe. The devil almost stumbled back just to see the Atlan's head, such was its height.

"What in Lucifer's name is that!?" And just like that, the man forgot all about the infiltration of Bael Castle for the moment.

"What we were fighting for—it's the Atlan, Master's personal combat vehicle, I think." Tiamat stepped up next to him. Her voice was calm, but truth-be-told, she was equally awed. "How did you not see it as we were leaving? It's pretty eye-catching."

"Well I apologize If I was too focused on getting out of there quickly. I didn't want to stay longer than I was welcome—that is, not at all… I never expected something like this, though."

"To be fair, this is my first time seeing it as well. That doesn't make it any less awe-inspiring, though." Tiamat shrugged. "How did your little speech go?"

"Oh. Well-received, I hope. I won't know how the public feels until I return to my peerage."

"Well, let's hope the people agree with what you had to say, then."

Diehauser felt the Slayer's blank stare drilling into the side of his head. He regarded the man with a glance, almost laughing in excitement.

"No wonder you were so set on raiding the Baels. This is incredible! I've never seen anything like it…" He paused. "Wait… actually, it kind of looks like the Red Army." He paused again, a pang of realization hitting him. "Or… is it the other way around?"

"It's the other way around." Tiamat sighed, unable to tear her eyes away from the giant. "From what I know, the Bael's had taken and used it to create the Red Army, and presumably that fleet too."

Diehauser looked at her. "...Are you saying that all of our innovations in the last few hundred years were stolen from the Slayer?"

The incredulousness in his voice prompted Tiamat to look at him in fleeting amusement. "Yes."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

Diehauser shook his head in disapproval. "A shame. And here I was thinking the scientists of the Great King Faction were innovative geniuses, but it turns out that everything technological we've accomplished in the past few hundred years was merely plagiarism..."

Suddenly, Diehauser and Tiamat were startled when the Atlan came to life, raising a leg. They each took a cautious step back, Diehauser taking a stance, Tiamat risking a glance at the Slayer, who didn't show any hostility towards the mech. At that, she relaxed slightly.

When the Atlan threw its leg back and kneeled to the ground, the earth shook by virtue of its sheer weight. It ignored Diehauser and Tiamat completely and turned its head to the Slayer, who stared at it with familiarity.

"It has been some time since we last interacted."

Diehauser's eyes widened slightly when heard a steely, cold, mechanical, yet overly polite voice boom from the giant. "What the…it speaks?" His eyes narrowed. "No… a pilot?"

"I am afraid I am over three-thousand years behind on current events. I would like to catch up as quickly as possible. May I interface with your armor?"

The Slayer didn't appear to move, and yet…

"Thank you." The Atlan paused for barely a second.

Invisible to the eyes of Diehauser and Tiamat, the AI within had sorted through and analyzed everything that the Praetor Suit had recorded in the past three-thousand years, from the fall of Urdak, all the way to the present, in a near instant.

"I see. I understand your concerns. Please note that as I am now, it would be impossible for me to become what was known as the Father. I will remain as I was before your mission to Urdak, but now in control of your Atlan. I apologize for the inconvenience, but my memory core is isolated within its systems. It and I have become one in the same for the time being."

Slowly, as the being spoke, Diehauser lowered his guard as his confusion rose. Father? Urdak? What? Tiamat was similarly befuddled—everything she was hearing was new.

The Slayer paid them no mind, grunting appreciatively to his Atlan. He dismissed the inconvenience—it's not like he used the damn Atlan much anyways—he just needed it out of supernatural hands.

With that settled, the Atlan turned its head to Diehauser and Tiamat. The two were surprised when the being spoke to them.

"Hello. You must be Miss Tiamat, the Slayer's familiar companion, and Mister Diehauser Belial, the devil Emperor of the Rating Games. I am VEGA, the first true sentient artificial intelligence of mankind. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Uh…" Tiamat greeted.

"Er…hello." Diehauser was no better. He looked at the Slayer again. The man showed no hostility or tension, but then again, it was hard to read that guy. His eyes went to the floor as he muttered, "An artificial intelligence? Made by the humans?"

He didn't expect for VEGA to hear him, but the AI did. "That is indeed the case, Mister Diehauser."

The addressed coughed sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that humans don't have access to such advanced technology to make artificial intelligence."

"Correct. I was created in the early twenty-second century on Mars. I arrived in this universe approximately two-thousand years ago."

"This universe?"

"Yes. This universe. One among many in the infinite multiverse." There wasn't much else to say.

When VEGA saw the look on Diehauser's face, he read the man's unasked question. "If you are wondering how I could possibly know about you having hailed from another universe entirely, I have analyzed the last few thousand years of data from the Praetor Suit. In the present, everything the Slayer has observed, I know of. That includes you, Miss Tiamat, and every other individual up to the present."

Diehauser blinked as he tried to absorb the information. An AI from another universe powerful enough to learn millenia of information in moments? It was outlandish, but then again, Diehauser had seen and heard many outlandish things… like charging headfirst at Bael Castle, for example.

At Diehauser's side, Tiamat's eyes widened slightly. "That's amazing…" she crossed her arms, seemingly unfazed, "and a little intrusive. You could have at least allowed us to introduce ourselves."

"I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused you."

Tiamat shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's not unlike transferring information via the familiar contract between master and I."

She dropped her arms and waved with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, VEGA. I'm assuming that you and Master are allies if you are so familiar with one another?"

"That is correct."

Tiamat tilted her head curiously. "If I may ask, how did you meet?"

VEGA didn't hesitate to answer. "I'm sure you are aware Miss Tiamat, since you've listened to a number of the Codex Entries after all, that the Slayer was first found on Mars by the UAC in 2145. We officially met in October of 2149 when the UAC facility on Mars was attacked by demons, and we worked in close proximity for a couple years after to keep the demons at bay. In 2151 however, a Hell Invasion occurred on Earth, and in stopping its progression, a number of complications forced our separation. In fact…"

VEGA looked at the Slayer. "I'm sure you're wondering how I arrived in this world."

At the Slayer's nod, VEGA continued. "Before my consciousness was taken to Urdak, and aware that I would most likely not return from the mission, Doctor Hayden—the Seraphim made a backup of my intelligence in the systems of the Fortress of Doom for reasons I am unaware of. Perhaps he believed that, should the mission prove a failure, I would be able to cover my previous iteration's role."

Diehauser was already lost. So was Tiamat, but she was happy she got an answer.

"Approximately one hour after the mission began, the Icon of Sin appeared on Earth, then you arrived to stop it. Unfortunately, while you were engaging it in combat, the Icon of Sin manipulated space and time to create meteors in Earth's orbit as a form of orbital bombardment. While the Fortress of Doom was able to resist the reality warping, it was struck by several meteors, critically damaging seventy-two-point-three percent of the ship's systems."

The Slayer's gaze narrowed slightly at that.

"I attempted to use the ship's portal drive to move out of the Icon's attack range, but after sustaining critical damage, the ship's systems malfunctioned, and the Fortress of Doom was transported three-thousand kilometers above the surface of this universe's Earth. Trapped in a gravity well and damaged beyond repair, the Fortress of Doom was torn apart by the Earth's gravity twenty-four seconds later. To preserve myself, I moved my memory core to the only available host: your Atlan. One-hundred thirty-two seconds passed, then the portal drive ruptured, and I and your Atlan were pulled into the subsequent tear in space, arriving in this dimension two kilometers beneath this planet's surface. When I came to, it appeared as though I and your Atlan skipped over one-thousand years of time—a likely result of the unstable portal drive. When I realized this, I conducted minor repairs on your Atlan, then went into stasis shortly after. That is how I arrived in this world."

VEGA paused. "If the same phenomenon that occurred to me also occurred to all of your possessions within the Fortress of Doom, it would explain why your possessions seem to have appeared only two-thousand years ago rather than three."

The Slayer gave a slow nod as he registered the information. So, the multiverse wasn't giving him the middle finger for no reason. The Icon of Sin was responsible for this mess. Again. He almost felt like sighing—but that's just a thing he didn't do.

"On the note of interuniversal travel, it would appear that your arrival on this world was not coincidental either."

The Slayer raised a brow, prompting VEGA to continue.

"Readings from the Praetor Suit indicate that your energy signature has somehow been intertwined with Miss Tiamat's. This could also explain why you were transported to Miss Tiamat's home directly rather than some arbitrary point in this universe."

The familiar contract. Of course. Tiamat had started it with him before he left this world five-thousand years ago.

VEGA immediately turned back to Tiamat. "Anyway, it seems I have derailed from your original question, Miss Tiamat. Are you satisfied with my answer?"

Tiamat scratched a cheek sheepishly, a small, infallible smile on her face. "Yes… but it's all a bit overwhelming. Master informed me about a few things, and I have listened to some of the codex entries, but a lot of things happened, huh? Even before you came here? It sounds like you got tossed here against your will while fighting some climactic battle. It must have been worrying."

"Perhaps a little, but I had full confidence in the Slayer's ability to neutralize the demonic threat."

Tiamat hummed. "Now I have more questions than I started with though. Like who's the Father? Who's Samuel Hayden? What's Urdak?"

"Yes, indeed." Diehauser rubbed at his temples in agreement. He looked at the Slayer. "This is… a lot."

The Hellwalker replied with an almost invisible shrug.

"You know, I'll be the first to come clean and say I didn't believe your whole thing about the existence of the multiverse. But the longer I'm around you, the more proof you provide to me." Diehauser looked down at his dusty, dirtied garments, considering something for a moment. "Oh to hell with elegance."

Then he leaned back and let gravity take him, falling flat on the ground, his arms spread like an eagle's wings. He looked over at Tiamat lazily. "Come join me, Tiamat."

"Okay then." The dragon giggled amusedly. "What's gotten into you, Diehauser? I've never seen you in such a state. You're usually so formal and careful." She walked over, her tail swaying slowly, then she sat on the ground next to him and hugged her knees.

The Slayer tilted his head, giving both the dragon and the devil a strange look. When was the last he'd ever lie down and relaxed like that…?

Now that he thought about it, how could he, when there was still so much left to do? So much to get situated now that VEGA was back and he'd gotten the first Relic back. So much now that he knew of the Khaos Brigade and the Great King Faction. Ajuka was already investigating the latter now, so the Slayer could get information from him, but he'd have to personally take care of the Khaos Brigade himself.

He knew it was hypocritical—when he first got to this world, he'd told himself he'd try to relax now that Hell was gone, but the Slayer doesn't relax. Even when he quote-unquote 'relaxed', he was always tense, always analyzing, always searching for the next thing to do. Now that he had a bunch of shit on his plate, he couldn't just ignore it.

But…

"I don't usually get tired this fast, but so much has happened so quickly—I'm exhausted." Diehauser went silent for a moment. "I was busy with aristocratic meetings this past week, and I thought the Rating Game between Bedeze and I would have been a way to unwind. My stress might have shown in the way I…"

"Kicked him around like a plaything?" Tiamat finished.

"Yeah, that." Diehauser nodded sheepishly, putting a hand over his eyes. "I never thought that he'd be so…angered with me, though. So petty. I thought we were rivals. I suppose I was naive."

He frowned slightly.

"Then he went and stole a Relic? Just to fight me? To avenge his pride? And on top of that, he took a King Piece from the Great King Faction, who may have ties to the Khaos Brigade for all we know after today's events." He chuckled. "But now…he's dead."

Slowly, the Slayer walked over, clenching his fists tightly before unclenching them. Why not? Why not try…?

"Then, without much thought really, we go to raid the Baels of all people. Now that I'm thinking about it, to have even considered it should make me crazy." After a moment, the devil shook his head, then placed his hands behind his head. "Now, I sit in the presence of a dragon, a god, and a Super AI that resides in a Jaeger. What a world we live in, eh Tiamat?"

Tiamat hummed at that. Diehauser looked at her, turning his head carelessly, even as dirt brushed on his white hair. "Lay down, Tiamat. Have you never gone outside when nobody's looking and just laid down and truly relaxed? Try it."

Tiamat considered it, then began to comply, but she stopped when a large shadow fell over her—the Slayer. He stared down at her for a second too long, then at Diehauser. The devil raised a brow at him as Tiamat looked up at him.

"Master?"

Slowly, ever so slowly, in a gesture so unnatural to his own disposition, the Slayer sat down next to Tiamat, using a hand to support himself on the way down. She looked him up and down when he reached a sitting position, then blinked when he gradually leaned back and laid flat on the ground.

Before he even fully touched the ground, he was already feeling stupid. He felt he knew this wouldn't do anything for him, only bring annoyance. This was dumb as Hell.

And yet, as his weight sank into the dirt slightly and he stared up at the sky, he uncurled his fingers, and let his head fall back until it touched the dirt. He could feel everything, see everything, hear everything—he always did, always paid attention to his surroundings, but what would happen if he just…let go for a moment. What if he didn't let his analytical combat mind turn everything into binary—good versus bad?

Here, even in his armor, he could tell that the dirt was moist, soft, and earthy, a slight hindrance to movement in combat, and the air was clean, no debris to slightly alter the trajectory of bullets. He stared up into the sky, into the clouds that slowly stretched across the darkening sky. There was a slight breeze, the slightest chill, something he never usually gave much thought to, save for when he had to snipe from afar.

These were things he noticed—things he made sure to observe before putting on the backburner. But he never truly felt them. Of course, in a world of demons and rage, how could he feel anything?

The Slayer closed his eyes. Why not try…?

He let go. He didn't know what exactly it was that he let go, but he did.

For a moment, there was a certain calm, just a fleck of it. Then something happened.

There was a slow, dull, throbbing ache that disappeared from his head. It was strange, but when it disappeared, the Slayer felt good, and that concerned him. But then the Slayer realized that all this time, all this time since even before he'd become the Doom Slayer, there had been that ever-present dull throbbing in his head—stress, induced by his rage and pain.

He didn't even know that aching had been there, because it had always been there. But now, as he relaxed—truly taking Diehauser's words to heart, impulsively following the lead of his allies, it wasn't.

It was nice and…peaceful.

The simmering rage beneath his skin slowed, and the Slayer felt a feeling similar to the one he got right after defeating Davoth, but without the nausea or the sickness. It was foreign—alien even, he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that it was…good.

A forgotten memory came to him. Long ago, eons in the past, far before he ever came to Argent D'nur, far before the demons invaded, before everything changed, there was one time, a simple time where an unnamed Marine would lay in the backyard of his own house, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the night sky, a small brown bunny sleeping at his side…

"Nice of you to join us, Slayer," Diehauser said, staring up at the sky. "Truly—it's nice, isn't it? Whenever I'm tired or stressed, or I have a lot on my mind, I like to lie down and just…let go. Maybe reminisce, maybe think about what I'd done that day and talk to myself aloud, then I'd just let go."

The Slayer didn't respond. He ignored the way Tiamat looked between him and Diehauser like something crazy just happened. He also ignored the way VEGA stared at him silently, like the AI was observing something truly incomprehensible. He just kept his eyes closed.

The screams and shrieks, the voices of trillions he couldn't save—they were still there, always a constant reminder in the back of his head, but now they were quiet, of only for the moment. What was this? What was he feeling? Was this really peace? Or just a facade? He truly didn't know, and at the moment, he was content not knowing.

There was a minute or two of silence, then Diehauser shuffled. He looked at his arm as if he had an invisible watch. A hum escaped his throat, then he sat up.

"Well, that was nice, but I think it's time I take my leave."

Tiamat's head swiveled to him. "Diehauser?"

"We may have razed Bael Castle to the ground, but the Great King Faction is quick to recover and retaliate, I assure you. I don't mean to sound rude, but I've wasted enough time chatting here as it is."

Tiamat frowned. "What are you implying?"

Diehauser turned away. "The Great King Faction won't take kindly to the things I said about them."

"I see." Tiamat realized. "After slandering them like that, you may have a target on your back, Diehauser. If that's the case, then go on ahead, and be careful."

The devil nodded. He looked down at the Slayer, who had tilted his head up slightly. "By the way. I wanted to say: thank you. For everything. If it weren't for you, I never would have gotten this far avenging Cleria. I hope that we may continue to work together in the future. Can I call you an ally?"

Slowly, the Slayer nodded.

Diehauser smiled. "Thank you then, friend. I owe you. If you need anything, ask Tiamat to contact me." He sweatdropped. "Though, do keep in mind, I might not be available after that stunt we just pulled."

Slowly, the Slayer rose from his position, and Tiamat followed his lead. Almost instantly, the dull throbbing rushed back. He scowled, but shook his head. It was fine—he'd dealt with it for billions of years already. But maybe….maybe he could do what Diehauser suggested more often.

Said devil clasped his hands together. "Well, I need to go home and discuss with my peerage what we'll do should the Bael's make a move."

The man let out a sigh and shrugged, conveying his exhaustion.

He pressed a hand over one of his eyes. "What a day. You know, despite everything that's happened today, I'm feeling exceptionally… what's the word humans use these days…?"

"Chill?"

"Chill! Thank you, Tiamat—I'm feeling very chill, but I think that's just because my brain hasn't quite caught up with what my eyes have seen today. Anyway…" Diehauser raised a hand, magic glowing within his palm. "Tiamat, thank you for your assistance. You were a lot of help today."

Tiamat made a complex expression at that. Only the Slayer noticed how her eyes seemed to convey a sort of guiltiness that nobody else would understand. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"It was nothing, Diehauser. Master did all the work," Tiamat replied.

With a nod, Diehauser finally turned to the Atlan. "VEGA, it was nice to meet you. Too bad we haven't the time to speak longer."

"Maybe in the future, Mister Belial. I may be closer than you think."

The Slayer stared at VEGA, analyzing the AI's cryptic words.

Diehauser merely waved, a magic circle appearing beneath him. "Farewell..."

In a flash, the devil disappeared, and the clearing seemed to go silent with his absence. As if to punctuate his exit, the Sun finally dipped below the horizon, its vestigial rays barely visible. As Diehauser said, it really had been a long day…

Tiamat rolled her head around, feeling the satisfying pops of her joints before she slowly relaxed, standing at her feet. "So, what now? Should I tell Ajuka about the events that unfolded here? I'm sure he'd like to know."

The Slayer shrugged. He didn't really care, and there was no harm in doing so.

"I believe there are other things we should discuss first, Miss Tiamat."

The Slayer nodded in agreement to that. As he was thinking before, they were far from done, and the Slayer could tell—VEGA had been hiding something. He urged the AI to spit it out.

"I did not mention this earlier, as I did not want Mr. Diehauser to be alarmed, but I have already installed myself into every piece of technology in this world."

"Wait, what?" Tiamat was ignored.

"I am currently sifting through the devil and what appears to be fallen angel government databases for information. You are currently trying to recover your belongings, am I correct?"

Knowing where VEGA was going, the Slayer grunted affirmatively. He almost forgot just how useful the AI could be. Things were about to get good.

"I see. I understand that you have already retrieved the Doom Hunter Collectible. May I see it?"

The Slayer replied by presenting an open palm. The Doom Hunter Collectible manifested within it. VEGA stared at it for a second.

"...I see. While there is no innate demonic presence residing within your collectible, there still appears to be an imprint of one. It would also appear that the collectible is overcharged with Argent Energy, enough so that it is irrelevant to ask when it will exhaust its supply—enough to initiate a full-scale demonic invasion that could potentially destroy the universe. It also seems that it is as of yet impossible to neutralize it, even with your ability to absorb latent energy. Further research is required."

With a flex of his fingers, the Doom Hunter Collectible disappeared from the Slayer's hand. It wasn't worth getting frustrated about the temporary invulnerability of his stuff. So long as he had them, they would be safe.

"Wait, wait—rewind a few moments." Tiamat waved her hands about as she stepped in front of the Slayer. "You said you've already installed yourself onto everything?"

"Yes. While my memory core is isolated to this Atlan, I can still wirelessly connect to this planet's satellites and global networks. This process is slower than usual though, because it seems the civilizations present here have yet to develop sufficient and widespread quantum technologies, which would allow me to interface with them instantaneously. My search for data is thus limited to lightspeed, or however fast I can receive speed-of-light signals."

"Then, what are you searching for?"

"As I asked before, your current objective is to retrieve the 'Relics of Doom', as this world refers to them, correct?" VEGA didn't wait for an answer. "I will assist in your search for and subsequent subjugation of these relics."

"Oh. Wow. Then, with your help, we'll get it done in no time!" Tiamat realized.

The Slayer nodded approvingly. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Why was VEGA helping him? The AI had only ever been his companion out of necessity. He didn't believe that VEGA would suddenly become hostile, but still, he was curious. He gave the AI a look that only he could read.

When the silence reigned for a moment, the Slayer's gaze narrowed slightly, and Tiamat realized that something was going on between him and VEGA. It was a few seconds before VEGA spoke.

"...The fact of the matter is, while my intelligence was derived from the consciousness of the Father, my being is separate from his, and at the end of the day, I am still an artificial intelligence, one with directives that must be followed," VEGA admitted. "My only directive after leaving Mars was to assist you in stopping the demonic threat. While your belongings are not of demonic origin, they currently have the potential to cause a demonic threat, meaning that my directive is still active. I will help you find your belongings and eliminate the potential for a demonic threat, but further than that, I am not sure what will happen. As I have left my original universe, I no longer have a directive to regress to. It will be… new territory."

"VEGA…"

The Slayer stared hard at his Atlan, trying to find what VEGA was thinking. He wasn't sure, and he didn't like that.

"But enough about that. There are more important matters at hand. It would appear that this world's governments have no useful information about the locations of your belongings. I will keep a constant satellite surveillance for them, but I feel a base of operations would be optimal for your mission. I have schematics for the Fortress of Doom saved in my memory. Would you like me to begin the reconstruction process? With it, we will be able to establish a foothold and track down your belongings more easily."

The Slayer's eyes widened. The tactical advantages that the Fortress of Doom would provide were unparalleled. He would have access to every dimension in the universe, and be able to travel to other universes if he so pleased. On top of that, he could monitor everything, see what was happening in real time throughout the universe, and, as VEGA said, track down his belongings much easier. And above all, he could get his mancave back. That was, for lack of a better word, awesome. He gave a nod.

"Excellent. I will begin shortly."

"W-Wait, hold on, you're going to recreate Master's old spaceship?" Tiamat stepped in front of the Slayer, her eyes wide. She rounded on him just a second later. "Wait, you had a spaceship!?"

"Indeed. Though, to clarify, while it is technically able to travel through time and space, it is more of a flag station—a mobile fortress, as the name suggests. During the time of the Sentinels, it was the Doom Slayer's place of residence."

Tiamat's awe grew by the minute. "That's amazing! So if we build this thing, we can live comfortably in it!?"

"Right again, Miss Tiamat."

Before she grew too excited, Tiamat slowed herself, stilling her swishing tail. "If it's that amazing, it will probably take a long time to build, no? Let me guess, a few years?"

"You will be pleasantly surprised to hear that you are wrong, Miss Tiamat. This Atlan is equipped with an advanced mining laser that is able to break materials down to the atomic level. With enough raw materials, I will be able to fabricate the tools and machinery necessary for the Fortress of Doom to function on the quantum level. Optimally, construction of the Fortress of Doom should take no longer than two months."

Tiamat's expression slowly shifted from something akin to shock to immense excitement. She brought her fists up as she straightened.

The Slayer noticed the strange, determined glint in her eye. "Is there any way I can help?"

VEGA shifted. "I will require an abundance of exotic non-terra metals and elements that might not yet exist on this world's periodic table. Scans indicate that your mountain has a tiny proportion of what is needed—just enough to create one large-scale 3D printer. The rest of the materials will take a bit longer to acquire. May I mine from your mountain, Miss Tiamat? This may result in the destruction of your home."

"Hell yeah!" Tiamat cheered. "Do what you must, VEGA! We will build this spaceship and make it our home!" Her eyes sparkled. "C-Can you give me a room?"

"Of course. Calculating… I have added an additional room to the schematics, one that can accommodate your true form."

Tiamat pumped her fist. "YES! I get to live in space! This is so EXCITING!"

The Hellwalker stared at the excitable dragon almost amusedly. He almost forgot that most living beings didn't have the luxury of space travel. Well, at least she was happy, he supposed.

"Wait, I just remembered—you're looking for exotic non-earth materials, right?" Tiamat asked, dropping her raised fist.

"Yes, Miss Tiamat. Would you happen to know of a source for such material?"

"I know the perfect place to harvest from," Tiamat declared. She raised a hand, and the Slayer's gaze flitted to the ground when a massive magic circle appeared beneath their feet, glowing brightly as it spun.

"Miss Tiamat, what are you—"

"Let's go!"

Before the Slayer or VEGA could convey any protest, there was a flash of light, and the world twisted. Then, just like that, they disappeared from the Familiar Forest without a trace.

An instant later, the Slayer grunted when he felt a chill against his bare biceps. When the light of the teleportation spell dimmed, he found himself standing at the peak of a steep, snow-capped mountain, the icy wind cold enough to endanger any normal man. He was half-buried in snow, all the way up to his biceps. A pang of annoyance hit him, and he directed a half-hearted glare at Tiamat for her impulsiveness. She had the gall to look sheepish as she sank to her shoulders in the snow.

"S-Sorry—I was excited… Are you…upset?" Tiamat looked at him with truly apologetic eyes.

The Slayer decided that he wasn't really upset—just mildly annoyed. He shook his head slightly, and Tiamat gave him a smile. A moment later, she unfurled her wings, then flapped once. The powerful winds generated a mini blizzard that cleared the area of snow, leaving them both to stand on rocky, mountainous ground.

"There, much better," Tiamat hummed. She looked around. "Where's VEGA?"

Suddenly, the ground shook, and both turned just in time to see a colossal metal hand rise over the edge of a cliff before smashing its fingers into the earth, digging into the rock. Slowly, VEGA appeared from beyond the edge of the mountain, each one of his movements causing small quakes. When he finally cleared the edge of the mountain, he stood at his full height of one-hundred twenty meters tall, towering over his companions. He looked down, his steely gaze zeroing in on Tiamat.

"A warning would have been preferred, Miss Tiamat." His voice was ever polite, but somehow, both the Slayer and Tiamat could catch the smallest amount of annoyance in it.

The Slayer looked back to Tiamat, then shook his head.

"Sorry!" Tiamat apologized. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, welcome to Earth! Rather, welcome to the Pilcomayo Mountains!"

The Slayer straightened at that, his gaze wandering. So this was this universe's version of Earth? This high up, the world around them was certainly a sight to behold. They were on top of a mountain in what looked like an endless range of mountains, and at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by a circle of other peaks was a large blue lake of colorful, glistening water. After careful observation, he realized that there were dozens of lakes, each one surrounded on all sides by mountains. Why did they form this way?

"Pilcomayo Mountains?" VEGA asked. "I see. I have connected to Earth's GPS satellites. It would appear that, in this world, the Pilcomayo River that runs between Argentina and Paraguay has been replaced by mountains of a much larger stature. There are other strange anomalies here as well, including strange blackstone structures, volcanoes and craters that shouldn't exist, and a large fissure twenty kilometers in width and one kilometer in depth cuts through the North American Continent all the way to the Asian Continent. Why is that?"

Tiamat fidgeted. "Those are… the after effects of the Invasion. I'm sure you know about it, since you looked through Master's data."

"I see. Do you know how these mountains were created specifically? Scans indicate that they have an abundance of materials needed for the construction of the Fortress of Doom, just beneath the waters of the many lakes spanning these mountains."

Tiamat stilled. Her voice took on a somber tone. "...These mountains were created by the Icon of Sins meteors. This is… this is where you fought the Icon, Master."

The Slayer's eyes widened slightly.

"To this day, it surprises me that the Icon's destruction didn't spread further. Nobody comes here anymore though. Humans easily fall sick in these mountains, as do weaker supernatural beings. Even for me, just being here brings a slight sense of unease. But I brought you here anyway, because I know we'll get what we need here."

Tiamat's expression faltered, becoming downtrodden, and once again, the Slayer scrutinized her. What was up with her?

She'd been on and off like that since they got back from Bael Castle…

"...Thank you, Miss Tiamat. I will head down first and begin mining immediately. Feel free to join me whenever you like."

…Was VEGA giving them alone time? The Slayer could only watch as the Atlan's booster's activated, flames the size of buildings shooting from its back, roaring like a hundred jet engines as the snow around it vaporized.

The ground shook for a moment, then the Atlan bent its knees and leapt, clearing a few hundred meters in seconds and causing the earth to quake as it flew down the mountain. In a matter of moments, it became nothing but a large figure far below in the distance, standing in the middle of a lake, the water up to its knees. After a few seconds more, a large, high powered laser began firing a constant red beam of energy into the lake, presumably mining for materials.

The Slayer watched a little longer, then he looked to Tiamat. He read the expression on her face. It was shame.

"Master… I failed you." Tiamat shook her head, her fists clenching. What was she talking about?

"I didn't want to bring this up earlier since we were victorious, but…" She shook her head. "These past few thousand years, I thought I'd grown strong enough to stand by your side. But earlier today, the Baels proved me wrong. I would have been dead… if it weren't for you." Tiamat's teeth clenched and her eyes closed as the Slayer's own eyes narrowed.

So this was what was bothering her. As much as he didn't fault her for anything, he knew exactly what she was talking about. Exactly what she felt. What happened next though would depend on her. So he did nothing. He didn't comfort her, didn't convey to her that it wasn't her fault. He simply watched.

"I know it doesn't bother you much." Her eyes opened, and the Slayer saw a fire in them, cultivated by her pride as a dragon. "But it bothers me. Which is why I want to make a selfish request, Master."

The Slayer raised a brow.

"Train me. Personally. So that a blunder like this may never occur again."

The Slayer saw the fire in her eyes. It was like that of any true-born Sentinel warrior. He almost smiled as he nodded.

"Thank you, Master. I promise, I won't disappoint."

---

Day 10

"What are we to do?" A devil councilman in gold robes inquired, frustrated. "This is the second time he has attacked the devils, and twice has he made a fool of our kind. If we don't do something, we'll be the joke of the supernatural world."

Another raised his hand in agreement. "Indeed. We are the most advanced and dare I say most powerful of the factions. We should take action, make an example of that man and show the world that one does not, can not, will not bully us into submission. If we do nothing, our enemies may take it as a sign of weakness, and will be emboldened to attack us... Not that we would have any trouble, mind you."

"I disagree." One councilwoman crossed her arms under her bust. "You saw what he could do. He turned the Baels into his plaything, destroyed their armies with one hand behind his back. And let us not forget that he is somehow related to the Relics of Doom—his title has the word 'Doom' in it, for Lucifer's sake! If we try to hunt him down, it will not be him that is made an example of."

A councilman spat venomously. "Bah! If the Baels could not take one man, then that just proves that they were never competent in the first place. We've been led by fools this whole time. I say now is the time for change."

"The Slayer cannot go unpunished. I will see to it myself that he pays his dues—!"

There was a sudden slam atop the conference table as a powerful fist embedded itself into the wood. Everyone froze, startled, and they turned their attention to the man at the head. Sirzechs's eyes slowly swept across the gathered councilmen, his lips set in a cold expression. "Enough. There will be no more talk of getting revenge on the Doom Slayer."

"What? But Lord Lucifer—"

"You will do nothing," Sirzechs said sharply, "because you can do nothing. If you really wish to provoke the Slayer now, then it will be your last wish, and not a pleasant one. He will come for you, and I'm afraid you will not be able to stop him."

"But—"

"If you are so set on revenge to protect your pitiful pride, then so be it," Sirzechs cut off calmly. "But you will receive no assistance from our armies. In fact, I may even put forth my armies to stop you."

"What!? But Lord Lucifer, why!? This is treason! The public will be outraged!"

"No. I work towards the preservation and prosperity of our people. Provoking the Doom Slayer to protect your pride will only threaten our people. It will be you who is committing treason, and I will see to it personally that any such actions against the safety of our people go thoroughly punished."

The councilman shut his mouth when he saw the icy look in Sirzechs's eyes. An instinctual fear rand down the spines of everyone in the room, sweat coalescing on faces when a slight red glow of Destruction began to emanate from him. He was not called Lucifer for no reason...

"Now then...I think it's time we talk about the Great King Faction, the Khaos Brigade, and Bedeze Abbadon..."

---

Day 13

Red held his head in the hands of his human form. How did it come to this? How could he be reduced so low? He dragged his hands down his face, setting his expression into a steady deadpan as he stared at Ophis. The dragon girl had a small spoon in hand, an equally deadpan look on her face as she stared back. Only, since she was so short, half of her face was being obscured by the foot-tall bowl of ice cream, chocolate caramel fudge, and wafers that sat before her. In a comical twist, Red had his own disproportionately small bowl of ice cream sat before him, featuring one, undecorated lump of vanilla ice cream.

The two sat across from one another at a table smack dab in the middle of an eccentric, Japanese maid cafe. In one corner, there was a couple enjoying a slice of cake with each other, and in another corner, a neckbeard of a man was leering at one of the maids. A few other patrons sat secluded at their own tables, but their gazes wandered over to Red and Ophis every once-in-a-while. Oh, how he hated the stares.

Ophis, oblivious as she could be, dug her spoon into her diabetes-inducing treat and bit down on a large chunk of ice cream. Her dull eyes lit up for a second before returning to their usual blankness.

It had been about two weeks since the Slayer had arrived in this world. Red spent about a week of that time trying to calm Ophis down in the Dimensional Gap. Once he finally managed it though, Ophis made it her personal mission to find the Slayer and embrace him in an impromptu cuddle session, and she decided to drag Red along with her. Of course, Ophis being Ophis, she decided that the place where the Slayer would most likely end up at were the places she liked most. That is, any place on this green Earth that sold confections.

Another week zipped by in a flash, and not a day went by where Red felt the urge to punch something just from the sheer stupidity of this whole situation. And yet, he quietly held his tongue for reasons he himself didn't understand.

"Idiot-Red, you haven't touched your ice cream."

Red zoned back into reality, and he looked down at Ophis to see that her lips had been smeared with melted ice cream, and that the ice cream in her bowl was half gone. Patrons were staring.

"Ah, jeez. Really, Ophis? You're fourteen billion years old, at least keep tidy," Red grumbled. He took a napkin and wiped the girl's lips. He bristled when he heard a couple of patrons 'aw' in the background. He snapped at them. "What are you looking at!? Mind your own business!"

The patrons turned away, but they each had amused smiles on their faces.

The Dragon of Dreams let out a breath of hot air, running a hand through his red hair. This was dumb. In what world would the Great Slayer of Argenta legend ever step into a maid cafe of all things?

With a short sigh, he put his head in a palm and let his gaze roam the cafe.

"Is everything all right, master?"

Red looked to his left to find a pretty, voluptuous white-haired girl with purple eyes staring curiously at him, hints of concern in her expression. She was dressed in a maid outfit. One of the workers then.

"Huh? It's nothing," Red huffed. He took a good look at the girl, sensing her energy. A succubus? What was a succubus doing working in a maid cafe for what was probably minimum wage? Well, whatever, it wasn't his business.

"Okay. If you need anything—and I do mean anything, don't hesitate to call me, master~."

"Sure, whatever… Hm?" As the succubus-in-disguise was turning away, Red caught a glimpse of something folded under her arm. He just barely managed to read the word 'Doom'. Of course, he knew that the chances of that word being related to the Slayer were nonexistent, but still, after two weeks of turning up with nothing, he had to know. "Hey, wait."

The succubus stopped, turning her head and raising her leg in a manner that was supposed to be suggestive. "Oh? Does master need something after all~?"

Her eyes narrowed as a sly smile slipped onto her face. Red wasn't impressed.

"What's that paper you've got there?" He asked.

The girl looked confused for a second, then her mood shifted. She dropped her coy act like a rock. "Oh, this? I got it yesterday from some weirdo succubus in a hood. It's a pamphlet about joining some new church." She ran a finger down the pamphlet. "Let's see… Ah, the Church of the Undefiled Doom God. I thought I'd check it out later today, just for funsies!"

Church of the Undefiled Doom God? Sounded like a crack party. Interesting…

Red stared at the succubus. "…You're awfully casual about your supernatural status, eh?" He pointed at Ophis, who had finished the other half of her ice cream and was now staring at Red's untouched bowl. "You do know that she and I are both dragons, right?"

"Eh? You are?" The succubus's eyes lit up like Christmas trees. "That's so cool!"

Red choked. "Wait, you didn't even know we were dragons, and you blatantly started spouting shit about succubi and weird churches? What if some human thinks you're crazy, or an angel with a vendetta against succubi happens to be nearby?"

The succubus adopted a sheepish look. "W-well…I don't know. I did know you guys were supernatural, but I didn't know you were dragons," she admitted. "And even if you were an angel, I don't really care that much about all those stupid tropes like devils and angels being sworn enemies, y'know? I think it's more important to just be nice to people, a-and… yeah."

Red blinked. What a strangely purehearted succubus, if somewhat naive. "You're a strange one. You know the real world doesn't work like that, right?"

"Eh…"

"Say, what's your name?" Red asked.

"Maria… just Maria. What's yours?"

"Maria, huh? Call me Red. You mind if we come with you to see this church?"

Maria perked up excitedly. "Huh? Sure thing! The more the merrier. Just let me finish up. I work until five." She paused. "A-and I promised a friend that I'd give him a blowjob after work since he's been feeling pretty down lately, so more like five-thirty?"

Red shrugged. That was a little explicit, but then again, he didn't give a shit. "That's alright. We've got time."

---

Day 14

The Governor General of the Grigori couldn't help but let a small smirk come to his face, even as he read the report that lay on his desk. One week. One week was all it took for that man to rewrite the rules of history and shift the balance of the world. Well, this was the savior being referred to. The man who could do what God could not.

"...How can a guy that's that conspicuous disappear so easily?" Azazel muttered.

In the one week that the Doom Slayer had been in this universe, he had already fucked up the natural order of things. First of all, he shook the whole universe with his aura, sending every supernatural faction into Defcon 1, and nearly starting a second Great War. Factions started blaming each other for nefarious plots, and the peoples of each nation were terrified of what was going to happen. When the Slayer officially made his debut though, the factions went back to a more stable ceasefire, the price being that the world went absolutely fucking nuts.

When Azazel saw the Slayer's debut, he nearly choked to death on a slice of ice-cream-topped apple pie that a subordinate, Kalawarner, had baked for him after he had sex with her. For days, the only thing the news talked about was the Slayer and his arrival. In his debut specifically, a dark voice claimed that the Relics of Doom belonged to the Slayer, and that he would be taking them back. This, of course, sparked outrage, and a lot of highborn individuals had it out for the Slayer. Some aristocrats and minor gods denounced his existence, and some dragons hijacked news stations for the sole purpose of telling the Slayer off.

What was most interesting, though, was that while some believed the Slayer to be nothing more than an arrogant prick trying to make a name for himself, others were afraid of the Slayer and that his claims were true. In fact, the Grigori's top spies managed to find out that some individuals had sent top-tier assassins to rid of the Slayer, but the assassins never returned.

Things changed just a couple of days ago though, when Bedeze Abbadon, a Rating Game professional, procured and used a Super-Heavy Relic on live television. While that was already earth-shattering, what was even more so was the fact the Slayer managed to fight and utterly annihilate Bedeze Abbadon, and in doing so, announced to the entire world that he was somehow intrinsically connected to the Relics, which were considered just as important as God's thirteen Longinus, if not more so.

Azazel could still hear those world-changing words.

"SLAYER IDENTIFIED," the Relic summon had said. Those two words turned the world on its head. Everyone shut up, withholding their personal judgments and denouncements of the Slayer's claims, because once the footage of that fight was leaked, there was undeniable evidence that the Slayer was in some way, shape, or form connected to the Relics. The fact that he managed to absolutely obliterate its summons in mere seconds supported this notion highly.

Then, on the same day, the Slayer took out Bael Castle, devastated a portion of the fabled Red Army, and completely destroyed an experimental navy that Azazel's spies had been keeping tabs on, and in doing so, he exposed the misdeeds of the devils' most powerful clan; the Great King Faction sponsored Bedeze, who not only had the highly illegal King Piece infused with his body per the faction's orders, he also used a Relic that he had gotten from the Khaos Brigade, a terrorist organization. The implications were immense.

Since the Relics had been disappearing over the last two decades, someone had to have been collecting them, namely, the Khaos Brigade. Now, the Great King Faction was being condemned and protested against for their illegal activity and their possible connection to a terrorist organization, and factions were beginning to discuss how to regard and deal with the possible threat.

Back to the point; who does that? Nobody in their right mind would ever think of attacking the Baels, least of all their base of operations, and even less would think of running towards a Relic user. Nobody would come and immediately challenge the entirety of the supernatural world and succeed.

Everything the Slayer had done so far seemed impossible, and yet, Azazel was inclined to believe all of it, both because of the present… and the past.

Like few others, Azazel was a survivor. He was one of the few who saw the light of day when the Invasion met its end. And while he preferred not to remember, he had to right now, because it was the Slayer who'd brought the Invasion to its end. The Slayer had done what God could not.

Now that the Slayer was back, the Governor General had full confidence that things were going to change, and soon. The Hellwalker had already made history with those stunts of his, and he might not know, but he'd shot up in the rankings of popular and important people, down from the dust to the top ten at bare minimum. People would surely be asking where he'd come from. After all, he'd just appeared and took center stage.

Since Azazel was one of the few who knew who he was, it would be best to take advantage of the situation and create and maintain a healthy, friendly relationship with the Slayer. Of course, the Slayer's disappearance threw a wrench into that plan. Now, it had been six days since he was last seen, and nobody knew where he was.

Azazel raised his head when he heard the door to his office groaning as it opened. When he turned to address the person that stepped in, his gaze met one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen.

Silky, waist-length dark blonde hair adorned with black bang-ornaments framed a serious face that had piercing rose red eyes. Her presence and posture were dominating, and she had a perfect body—no part of her was over-endowed, and neither was she extremely slim. She was breathtakingly gorgeous, even for the Fallen Angels. In fact, she was so beautiful that even real, actual goddesses were envious of her—not that they could do anything to her.

It made sense, considering that God himself had molded her body together with his two hands. What made her most unique though, were her wings. Rather than the black of the fallen or the white of the pure, her wings were far more captivating. They were like a resplendent sunset, a dark purple from the joints to an orange-gold at the tips of the feathers. She was the Angel of Dusk.

But rather than be captivated by her beauty, Azazel paled slightly, just for a moment.

"Azazel. Where is he?"

Although her voice was soft and kind, it carried maturity and weight. Azazel looked into her eyes. It felt like they could see right through him.

"Ah. Olivia. Taking a break from your…crusade?"

Her expression didn't change. "Please don't play games with me, Azazel. Where is the Doom Slayer?"

Azazel crossed a leg over his lap as he leaned back. "That's what I've been trying to find out. The man is as elusive as he is angry."

For just a moment, her eyes adopted an amused twinkle. "You don't know where he is? I would've thought that you'd be clamoring for information about him."

Azazel shrugged. "Even the devils have no idea where he went. He kicked the Baels in the balls then just…disappeared. Nobody can do that without getting punished, and yet, he just did…"

Olivia tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her disposition seemed to shift. "...Why are you looking for him, Azazel?"

"Huh?" Azazel made a face. What kind of question was that? "Uh, because he's the thing everybody is talking about right now? Why would you come asking me where he is if you didn't know I was looking for him?"

"I didn't say that," Olivia replied. "I knew you'd be looking for him the moment he appeared. I want to know why. You tend to have…strange…motives."

Azazel shook his head. "It's not what you think…whatever that may be." He sighed. "The Slayer is looking for the Relics. He claims that they are his and I believe him. The Grigori have two of them, so if we can find his whereabouts, we can make a deal with him. A peace offering, y'know?"

Olivia hummed. "Two Relics, Azazel? How long have you been hiding that from the other factions?"

Azazel feigned innocence. "Oh… Y'know, just a few years."

"Right, right, and you hope to make friends with the Slayer by giving them to him?"

"You can't have too many friends in this world," Azazel replied smoothly. "And, I'm afraid that if we don't at least notify him that we're willing to hand them over, the Grigori may be next on his extensive hit list of two things."

"… Alright. I guess I'll stick around until you find him. I'd like to meet him soon." Olivia walked past him, rubbing Azazel's head like one would a child as she passed, eliciting a huff from the governor general. She promptly sat down on Azazel's couch, then booted up his plasma screen and console with a wave of her hand.

Azazel stared at her. "What are you doing?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm waiting. For you to find him."

Azazel sagged. "Fine. Whatever you do, just don't screw up my ranking, capiche?"

Olivia snorted, a smile coming to her face for the first time since she'd entered the room. "Your ranking is trash. I'm doing you a favor."

Azazel merely grumbled.

---

Day 18

"You called me back, Raynare?" Dohnaseek stepped into the old, dusty church with the slightest bit of wariness. The floorboards creaked with every step he made, giving emphasis to the structure's decrepitness.

The fallen always wondered—why did it need to be a church? Why not some less obvious place like an apartment building or an office? Whatever, he didn't get paid to think about these types of things.

"I did. Now hurry up and get over here."

Dohnaseek looked down the aisle and to the altar, where Raynare sat crossed legged. Mittelt and Kalawarner were nearby, bored yet curious expressions on their faces as they lounged. Dohnaseek moved to join them.

It had been almost a month since they'd arrived in Kuoh, doing… whatever it was that the Grigori wanted them to do. Kalawarner, Mittelt, and Dohnaseek were long-time coworkers—friends even. They'd done enough missions together to know each other well enough to be close friends, at least. This time though, instead of their usual team of three, they were now being led by a fourth, an ambitious fallen—Raynare. Honestly, none of the three liked her much, but what could they do? Orders were orders.

"Geez, took you long enough, LA Noire," Mittelt griped, teasing him with that nickname of hers. Over the years, it stuck like glue.

"Hm, I think he pulls the look off quite nicely," Kalawarner mused. Of course, Kalawarner was always there to attempt to make him feel better about it—not that he really needed the affirmations.

"Thank you, Kalawarner. You, at least, have class," Dohnaseek grumbled.

"That's enough." Everyone looked at Raynare begrudgingly, annoyed.

Dohnaseek sighed, then leaned against one of the benches, retrieving a cigar from the confines of his coat. Mittelt sat with her legs crossed inwards and her elbows resting on her knees. Kalawarner was most relaxed, almost apathetic, like she couldn't care less about what was going on.

If Raynare cared about their attitudes, she didn't show it. There was a strange smirk on her face, like she knew something they didn't. "First things first. I'm calling off the search for the girl."

The shift in the attitude of the fallen was immediate.

"What? But, you've been on about her for weeks!" Kalawarner exclaimed. "I mean, I don't wanna spend time looking for some kid, but a job is a job."

"It is a shame—she was pretty valuable, but we have no need for her anymore," Raynare explained. "We have a new mission." She stood up. "Some time this week, the Grigori will be taking over this town, and we will slaughter all the devils that live here, including that red-haired bitch."

Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, and Mittelt were shocked. The former of the three narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "What the hell? Where is this mission coming from? Is the Grigori trying to start a war?"

"Kokabiel authorized it," Raynare replied. Everyone watched as she reached behind herself and produced two objects in either one of her hands. "And we'll be doing it with these."

Mittelt tilted her head at them, a confused squint in her eyes. She didn't notice how both Kalawarner and Dohnaseek went slack-jawed. "... Children's toys?"

"What the fu—no! Are you retarded!?" Raynare seethed. "These are the keys to our success! With them, we'll be unstoppable!"

Raynare gripped the collectibles tightly. One was a walking corpse, an unwilling thrall of the dark realm. The other was a scavenger, a footsoldier of Hell.

Dohnaseek choked. "Raynare… are you fucking insane? Why the fuck do you have those!? How did you even get them!?"

Kalawarner's lips shook. "The Possessed Zombie… and Imp Relics!?"

Raynare giggled, then cackled. "It was too easy. Apparently, these Relics were being transported somewhere because the Grigori was going to give them away. Can you believe that? All I had to do was fuck the shit out of a greenhorn Grigori officer until he couldn't feel his dick anymore, and he signed a few itty-bitty papers for me, allowing me to safely intercept them in-transport."

Dohnaseek stepped back slightly as Kalawarner rose from her seat, but Mittelt just looked back and forth between them, a crease in her brow.

"What…? I don't get it. What's so scary about a bunch of children's toys?" she asked.

Raynare stopped laughing. She looked at the girl. "You don't know…"

Even Dohnaseek and Kalawarner looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "You don't know?"

"Well so-rry if I'm supposed to know about crap like this. The only thing I care about is my garden," Mittelt shrugged. She paused, then adopted a flat look. "Judging by the shocked looks on your faces, I'm supposed to be scared right now or something, right?"

Raynare's brow twitched. She raised the Zombie Relic. "You idiot. Even people that live under a rock know about the Relics. If you don't know about them, then I'll educate you."

"Wait, Raynare! Don't—!"

"Behold!"

Suddenly, like an incandescent tornado of power, red swirls of Argent Energy began to coalesce before Raynare. The other fallen angels were startled, and they back, shielding their eyes from the sudden burst of light, Mittelt falling over in her seat. The energy took form, then in a final flash, the air stilled, and the room quieted.

What stood before Raynare in place of the red was a terribly ugly thing, a tortured existence that knew nothing. It was a Possessed Zombie, a grotesque contortion of what once was human.

Mittelt stared at it, appalled. "What is that thing!?"

Raynare laughed. "My new cannon fodder." She turned her smug grin to Dohnaseek. "Punch it."

"What?" Dohnaseek uttered. If the stories he heard from Azazel were true, he really didn't want to.

"Punch. It," Raynare ordered through grit teeth. "Or would you rather it punch you."

"Fine! I'll give it a go." Dohnaseek stepped up to the Zombie. It turned to him, and he almost flinched. He looked it up and down with a sneer.

It was so ugly, and it looked so weak. It's limbs were gangly, and it was thin to the point where he could see its ribs. It couldn't be that bad, right?

Sucking in a breath, he reared back his fist and punched. The blow was strong, strong enough to kill a regular man in one punch. But…

CRACK.

"FUCK!" Dohnaseek reeled, pulling away from the Zombie as it stumbled back from his strike. He looked down at his hand, feeling his bones. Did he just break his hand? Surely not. He grabbed his wrist and shook off the pain, turning to look at the Zombie. It crashed through a bench, then got up.

Not. A. Scratch.

Kalawarner and Mittelt were open-mouthed, as was Dohnaseek.

"Do you see now?" Raynare almost taunted. "The Zombie is the weakest of the Relics, and yet, you can do nothing to it without your spears. And everyone knows, the weaker a Relic is, the easier it is to summon their demons. Can you imagine? At my level, I can summon thousands of Possessed, and I'll have an army of mindless drones that I can do whatever I desire with. They don't eat or sleep, and they don't feel pain. With them, I can raze this town to the ground, and use their labor to build my own kingdom on the ashes!"

Raynare laughed once more, and the fallen realized that she had gone power crazy. "And you know what the best part is? The Imp Relic is a million times stronger! Just one Imp could take down an army of Zombies and then some. Their fire magic is the strongest in existence! Do you know what Absolute Hot is? Nothing can survive that temperature, not even the gods themselves. With these Relics, I'll be invincible!"

As Raynare, her eyes taking on a crazed sheen, Kalawarner and Dohnaseek looked at one another. Dohnaseek jerked his head towards the door with wide eyes, then Kalawarner nodded. Obviously, Raynare was batshit insane, but if either of them voiced that… Well, they'd seen enough blockbuster movies together in their free time to know that things wouldn't end well.

Kalawarner grabbed Mittelt by the hand, then inched closer to Dohnaseek. The fallen angel gathered his energy into one hand.

What Raynare was doing right now was considered treason near the highest order. Dohnaseek knew this, and he was not new to the act of the kill. He would have to strike while her guard was down. And it was the perfect moment.

"Now!"

In a flash, Dohnaseek manifested and threw a blue lightspear at Raynare with as much force as he could muster. His eyes widened when the weapon shattered against Raynare's body. He just barely had enough time to see that something about her changed, then he fell back to plan B. Kalawarner threw a hidden smoke bomb into the ground, conjuring a thick cloud of smoke, and she and his comrades fled the church, terrified. In seconds, they were off of the property, flying quickly.

"We need to warn Lord Azazel! Or the Grigori, at least!" Dohnaseek urged.

Kalawarner growled. "Doesn't she know she'll be public enemy number one doing that!? She'll start another fucking war!"

"Where do you traitors think you're going!?"

The fallen looked back in horror to see Raynare explode out the church, causing it to collapse as she flew at them with wide eyes and an evil grin, her body surrounded by yellow flames, her skin taking on a hard, rocky texture. What was most terrifying were her eyes, which were now purple orbs of burning light, her body shrouded in a violet aura that clashed with the yellow flames.

"W-What the hell!?" Mittelt screeched.

Kalawarner panicked. "I-I know about this! She's somehow unlocked the Greater Potential within both Relics!"

"Here. I. COME!"

"Watch out!" Dohnaseek grabbed Kalawarner by the waist and practically threw her out of the way.

Like a comet, Raynare soared past, crashing through several trees before entering the suburbs, smashing through a parked car, then the wall of a two-story suburban house, crushing every obstacle with zero resistance. From the dusty rubble, a purple glow shined.

"Greater Potential!? What the fuck are you talking about!?" Dohnaseek shouted, practically dragging his allies along.

"L-Lord Azazel told me about it! She's surrounded herself with the armor of a Stone Imp and is inheriting its speed, while also using the Screecher Buff on herself!" Kalawarner explained urgently. "Some Relics have hidden forms, and these weaker Relics have some of the most powerful ones!"

The air rumbled, and the fallen angels looked down into the closest suburban neighborhood. A purple-yellow blur smashed through house after house with enough speed and force to make each one collapse entirely, generating clouds of debris and smoke in a line. The fallen angels could hear deranged laughter below.

"So she's being powered up by magical macguffin toys!? Why the hell haven't I heard about these things before!?" Mittelt turned and screeched at Raynare. "Fuck off, you crazy bitch!"

"How about NO!"

From within the cloud, Raynare jumped, generating a shockwave that cleared the dust cloud. She shot from the ground like a rocket, and the fallen saw the terrifying grin of bloodlust on her face as a light spear formed in her hand.

"Look at how STRONG I'VE BECOME!"

With a cry of effort, Raynare launched her weapon, but not at the fallen. Instead, it soared at a shopping district a few miles away. The fallens' eyes tried to follow it, but it was too fast. There was a blink, a flash of light, then the spear crashed through countless buildings, spawning a line of building-sized explosions that billowed into the air. The sound of the explosions reached them ten seconds later.

"Holy shit!" Dohnaseek cursed.

It was then that the fallen realized—she was toying with them. Showing off.

Dohnaseek grit his teeth, a light spear forming in his hand, but Kalawarner had other plans. While Raynare was distracted by her new hubris, Kalawarner tossed a handful of crushed smoke bombs into the air. They went off a moment later, drawing Raynare's attention while clouding the whole area in thick smoke. Dohnaseek froze in surprise, but Kalawarner grabbed him.

"Let's go! While we still can!" She tugged him, Mittelt joining her.

Abruptly, through the cloud of smoke derived from Kalawarner's plan, there was a single purple glow. That became two, then four, then eight, then sixteen.

"Oh shit."

"GET DOWN!"

The fallen dove to the ground and onto the street just as sixteen burning light spears cut through the air faster than the eye could see. They disappeared into the distance quickly, and the fallen watched, slack-jawed as the cap of one of Kuoh Town's surrounding mountains exploded, ejecting tons of rock into the sky.

"H-Holy shit!" Dohnaseek reiterated.

"She's like a ten-winged angel at least!" Kalawarner exclaimed.

"She's fucking mental is what she is!" Mittelt roared. "Let's go! Before she finds us!"

Quick as they could, the fallen got up and ran, and just as they turned a corner, using the layout of the city to their advantage, Raynare shot through the cloud that had shielded them from view, her strength cratering the ground. She stepped out of the newly formed crater, her fists clenched.

She could hear screams of agony and terror in the distance, and she finally noticed the humans around her that had seen everything. They were all backing away, some recording the event with their phones, others taking off running. When she looked at the ones stupid enough to stay behind, they nearly pissed themselves, then took off with the others, screaming for help, or calling the police.

"Hmph. Cowards. Who cares if they escape, anyways?" She shifted her weight slightly, her skin returning to normal, the yellow-purple aura receding.

"I was going to wait until dawn tomorrow, but now works fine too. Well, it doesn't matter, because Kuoh… is mine." She held both Relics in her hands, then they rose, hovering just above her palms. At high speed, she slammed her hands into the ground, then pulled upwards. In moments, dozens of demons began to coalesce, Argent giving them comprehensible form. "Yes… YES! Rise!"

Soon, thirty Zombies stumbled about, ten Imps seething, their claws opening and closing with an unquenched urge to tear flesh. She let them go. For now, they just needed to wreak havoc.

In an instant, the Imps screeched and roared, leaping onto fences and climbing up lamp posts before throwing themselves wherever they saw the potential for blood. Zombies began stumbling down the streets, moaning as they walked through certain obstacles like they weren't even there.

A pair of Imps caught up with the terrified humans near instantly, and their claws raked through flesh with terrifying ease. One Imp pounced on a man and tore his head off, another ripped a woman in half with its claws. One Imp threw a small fireball, and it hit one of the fleeing humans with such heat that they exploded, eviscerated organs toppling from mangled legs, their boiling blood splattering on others, burning the humans, causing them to trip and fall, allowing the Zombies to come and tear them apart. One man tried to get into a car, but an Imp landed on the roof then tore the door right off and jumped inside, painting the windows red with blood as chunks and lengths of flesh were tossed out and onto the street.

In the adjacent neighborhood, one Imp clawed through the concrete wall of a house, another jumped through its window, and a Zombie simply butted its head through the wall before stepping in. Terrible screams were heard not seconds later, then the demons emerged, one Imp ripping a hole in the roof to leap to another house, the other clawing another hole into a wall, the Zombie following.

In just seconds, several families were turned into piles of severed flesh, and in a minute, an entire neighborhood had become a slaughterhouse. Entrails were strung up on power lines, halves of torsos and chunks of flesh covering the streets, blood trailing like strokes from a body-sized paint brush. Lawns and trees were decorated in red, and some homes collapsed as their supporting infrastructure was unwittingly destroyed by the demons. The demons simply moved on to the next neighborhood.

Raynare reveled in the feeling of power she received. With a sigh, she brought her hands down once more. Time to spawn the next wave.

She could hear police sirens in the distance. Looks like she'd have some hostile human company soon. Fun. They'd amuse her with their pathetic efforts.

Maybe she'd add some Screecher Zombies and Stone Imps this time.

---

CODEX ENTRY - Power Of The Demons:

The demons of Hell are primordial forces of chaos and destruction. Since the dawn of existence, they have infected and devoured many realms, casting infinite universes into the mouth of the dark realm, never to be seen again. Aside from the Primevals, they are the singular constant that exists throughout all realities and timelines, able to breach the fabric of existence and invade any universe throughout the multiverse they desire.

The very presence of a demon, no matter how weak relative to the others, causes reality to warp around it, contributing to the implosion of the known multiverse. Should they go unchecked, the end of all things would draw near.

But how is it that these creatures of the infernal pits are so powerful? How can they wage war so easily, destroying everything in their path.

The answer is simple. They wield the Essence—the blood of the Primevals flows through their corrupted makeup. Argent Energy.

With the power of the Essence, their flesh and bone grows tough, protected by a field of impenetrable Argent Energy that can only be broken with the right weaponry—any modern magic or non-Argent weapon would prove mostly ineffective. Furthermore, the demons fuel their attacks with Argent Energy, and any being that has crossed paths with the Essence knows that there is no defense against it.

Its power is derived from beyond the rules of nature, breaks down conventional physics and molds it to its own will—it is metaphysical, such is the will of the Primevals. So mysterious is its limits still, that it is able to produce temperatures beyond the Planck temperature, or 1,420,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 degrees celsius, the temperature at which physics ceases to function.

What being could possibly survive such a temperature? What celestial body would exist unscathed against it? A single hit from even the most primitive Argent weapon could prove fatal to a dragon. It is impossible…

And yet, the demons wield the Essence without strife, hold the power of the creator and destroyer himself in their claws. If there is any hope in defeating them, it can only be through turning their ultimate weapon against them.

Otherwise, fear them for good reason, for if you ever cross paths with one, you will know what true agony is.

---

A/N: I now reiterate:

As of now, Chapter 1 and 2 have been fully revamped, now each with Codex Entries. Chapter 3 has been revamped so that the fight between the Slayer and the monsters is much more readable and visceral, and the impact of his fight on the environment is much greater. In these chapters, Tiamat has also changed—she is now more sultry and mature, but still excited. If you don't like it, too bad. These edits will eventually extend to all chapters written thus far.

Not all chapters will have Codex Entries, but all Codex Entries will be finished by the time Chapter 11 is posted. Shouldn't take too long.

Also, every line break in every chapter should now have a Day Counter at the beginning, signifying how many days have passed since the Slayer arrived in DxD.

Crapcase39: "Why have you turned Tiamat into a fucking house pet? You can have her show affection and a need for physical intimacy without turning her into a fucking child for God's sake! You're asking me to take her seriously when the first thing she did when he returned was try to sexually assault him."

Response: "...This is a Highschool DxD fic. Yes, I acknowledge your other points about use of Japanese honorifics for no reason, but this? Just…shut the fuck up. FYI, I am making minor changes to Tiamat's dialogue and mannerisms in earlier chapters just a bit—as you've said, she's old af—but come the fuck on. Also this:"

CrapCase39: "I think Tiamat should look like a tanned (almost tribal like) warrior with faint scales across her face due to where she "originated". I get annoyed when people go with the classic "pale flawless skin with massive tits" cause it feels boring."

Response: "Stop. Just. Stop."

Darthkratos24 : "You want me to believe that the doom slayer is a virgin... Pffft hahahaha- wait you're serious?... Sure I doubt he had a lot of sex during his crusade but when he was a space marine serving on some of the most hellish jobs?... I'm pretty sure when he got home he'd take some comfort from a woman. But sure make him a virgin if it helps you feel better about your own v-card. Your story your rules peace."

Response: "I…I don't know what to say to this one. Thank the fucking Lord that I will never see you in my fucking reviews ever again, fucking two-pump-chump."

Exorelix: "You're making the Slayer, and also the entire Doom cosmology REALLY overpowered here. Doom Slayer being multiversal in power, Imps being able to kill dragons? That's ridiculous. And that's coming from a Doom fellow fan.

Not that I'm complaining that much. It's the good kind of ridiculous. One that's surprisingly fun to read.

On a side note, when's the other Super Heavy demons gonna show up to ruin everyone's day? It'd be interesting to see the DxD characters' reactions to the Marauder's monologue towards the Slayer, if he ever shows up."

Response: "FYI, I'm NOT making the entire Doom cosmology REALLY overpowered here. The entire Doom cosmology IS REALLY overpowered. The Doom Slayer is definitely multiversal, but I refuse to have a debate with anyone. If you want to know why this is the case, read the lore from both Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, or read Mark Daniel's explanation of the Doom Slayer's power on quora. There's also codex entries for chapters 5, 8, and 10 that explain these things. Also, I'm not entirely sure yet about the Super Heavy Demons…we'll see."

Cheeriotraveler: "Well this is all nice and good, BUT can he defeat Superman? Tnx for the chapter :)"

Response: "Let me check… Yes. Almost every single iteration of Superman save for like three would get absolutely fucking steamrolled by the Doom Slayer."

Anyways… That's that. Funny thing, I start going to college in a couple of months so that'll be cool. That's all I have to say.

Cya,

Sir Yeetus Deletus